Tristania - Darkest White(Limited Edition) FLAC CUE LOG(2013)

Tristania - Darkest White (Limited Edition)

Tracklist:
01. Number (4:45)
02. Darkest White (3:25)
03. Himmelfall (5:47)
04. Requiem (5:29)
05. Diagnosis (5:02)
06. Scarling (5:18)
07. Night on Earth (3:35)
08. Cathedral (Bonus Track) (3:31)
09. Lavender (5:11)
10. Cypher (5:43)
11. Arteries (4:11)

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Tristania - Darkest White (Limited Edition) (2013)

Tristania - Darkest White (Limited Edition)

Tracklist:
01. Number (4:45)
02. Darkest White (3:25)
03. Himmelfall (5:47)
04. Requiem (5:29)
05. Diagnosis (5:02)
06. Scarling (5:18)
07. Night on Earth (3:35)
08. Cathedral (Bonus Track) (3:31)
09. Lavender (5:11)
10. Cypher (5:43)
11. Arteries (4:11)

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Tristania - Widows Weeds (1998) Russian Edition CUE LOG FLAC

Tristania - Widows Weeds

Gothic Metal. Sounds pretty abstract, doesn’t it? With Melodic Death Metal, you can pretty much guess it’s Death Metal with melody included. But what's Gothic Metal? Simply, Metal which has that beautiful dark atmosphere defined as ‘gothic’, something which pervades this entire album. I once read someone saying something along the lines of ‘Widow’s Weeds was the first and last Gothic metal album ever, and miles better than all the boring rip-offs it spawned’ – I think that sums up the album’s importance to the genre pretty well. What's surprising about this album is there was never a Gothic music period (like Classical, Romantic) – Tristania managed to pretty much create a genre by themselves on Widow’s Weeds; an incredible achievement.

The album’s main theme, which all the music and lyrics are based off, is the dark side of love. The sadness, the longing, the pain – you know it. Despite it being negative, because the album is based around love it is exceptionally beautiful; because love is so important in our lives the album is a very powerful listen. But the album isn't repetitive; not just about love. There are other feelings present, such as enlightenment (‘Angellore’), mystery (‘Pale Enchantress’), desperation (‘Wasteland’s Caress’) and relief (‘Evenfall’). These add more depth and diversity to the music.

The songwriting on Widow’s Weeds feels very natural, seemingly following the emotional aspect of the record. The seven songs (excluding the short intro and outro) all range between six and nine minutes in length, which allows each song to fully develop, although a few drag on (‘Midwintertears’, end of ‘Evenfall’). Structure wise, some songs follow a more set verse-chorus arrangement (with instrumental passages separating the verses and choruses), while others are more progressive, although there is repetition of passages tying them together. The album also rarely repeats itself, meaning replay value is high.

The vocals on Widow's Weeds are its life and soul. They consist of a frequent - yet always suitable - exchange between harsh vocalist Morten Veland and female vocalist Vibeke Stene; the classic beauty and the beast. Morten sticks to his signature style of somewhere between Death and Black vocals; his voice is powerful (brutal in the chorus of ‘Evenfall’) yet contains lots of emotion, really driving the pained aspect of the album. Vibeke is of course the polar opposite. Despite recording four more albums with the band, her voice is arguably at its prime on Widow’s Weeds, sounding like an angel more than ever. Each and every vocal part she has is a highlight, delivering the utmost melancholic beauty. There are also other dimensions to the vocals. Østen Bergøy makes his debut with the band on ‘Angellore’; while sounding a little muddy his baritone adds another dimension to the music and makes up for the song being one of the more simpler structurally. An eight person choir is also used: while barely popping up, the chorus of ‘Evenfall’ is one of the best things I’ve ever heard, instantly painting in the listener's mind the gothic feel of the record.

The band members on Widow's Weeds are connected with the songwriting at hand and, more importantly, each other. The keys are perhaps the most important instrument here – the fantastic lead piano melodies form the basis to most of the songs (see the phenomenal intro and chorus of ‘My Lost Lenore’), while the synth adds a whole other layer of depth to the music. The guitars, despite their poor (overly dissonant) production, play terrific doom-influenced riffs ('December Elegy') but also some faster groovier ones (chorus of ‘Angellore’), Black Metal-influenced tremolo picked (‘Wasteland’s Caress’) and even some warm acoustic passages. The minimalistic (for Metal) drumming is incredible – the intricate bass drum patters mean no beat is ever boring, the use of cymbals for accents and feel adds the necessary spice to each passage and the snare drum is used effectively for satisfying fills. The bass playing, like in all Tristania is of high quality, adding the necessary backbone to the music with the drums. Like the bass drum patterns, the bass lines are always fitting and interesting. Finally, the violin and cello, when used, add an aspect of beauty which can only be achieved by a classical instrument – the violin solo in the climax of ‘December Elegy’ contains so much emotion it is difficult not be moved by it.

I do not give this album a 5 due to there simply not being enough amazing songs on here. ‘Midwintertears’ drags in parts while ‘Wasteland’s Caress’ feels rushed. Besides those faults the album is of superb quality, with proficient songwriting, powerful emotion, beautiful melodies and a unique yet familiar atmosphere within. Highly recommended for those interested in the darker (and let’s face it, better) reaches of Metal.

copas from http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/35005/Tristania-Widows-Weeds/

Tracklist:
01. Preludium... (01:09)
02. Evenfall. (06:54)
03. Pale Enchantress. (06:32)
04. December Elegy. (07:31)
05. Midwintertears. (08:32)
06. Angellore. (07:16)
07. My Lost Lenore. (06:23)
08. Wasteland's Caress. (07:40)
09. ...Postludium. (01:10)
10. Sirene. (Bonus Track*) (03:24)
11. Cease To Exist. (Bonus Track*) (09:14)

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Tristania - Tristania (EP) FLAC CUE LOG (1997)

Tristania - Tristania (EP)

Tracklist:
01. Sirene
02. Midwintertears
03. Pale Enchantress
04. Cease To Exist

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Tristania - Beyond The Veil (Limited Edition FLAC) 2001

Tristania - Beyond The Veil 

Review Summary: Dark, symphonic, gothic metal that reeks in anger and despair. One of the crowning jewels to be found in the gothic metal genre and particulary one album that shouldn't be taken lightly.

It goes without saying that Norway has played more than a pivotal role in developing extreme metal. Their contributions to black metal are extraordinary and can be felt by audiences as far as America to Asia. Bands like Emperor, Burzum, and Darkthrone showed that metal was not a toy but a serious weapon that shouldn’t be tampered with. Since the glory days of the early 1990s, the black metal scene burned it’s way into the minds of the young, almost completely overshadowing yet another emerging strain of heavy metal in the process. Along with black metal, Norway has played a significant role in devolving gothic metal. Since it’s official inception as another sub genre to the ever expanding confines of heavy metal, gothic metal has been one of the more popular styles to emerge since the glory days of Paradise Lost and Katatonia. Unfortunately like all great styles of music, gothic metal began to hang itself with cheap gimmicks, uninspired songwriting and imitations but even worse then that was when respected bands like Theatre Of Tragedy tried to morph their sound with little to no acclaim from their fan base. In The early nineties, bands like 3rd And The Mortal, Trail Of Tears, Theatre Of Tragedy, Tristania, and The Sins Of Thy Beloved took the blueprints from the UK masters and incorporated heavier and darker melancholic arrangements than their predecessors had. For starters, although Paradise Lost included female vocals in their music it wasn’t until Theatre Of Tragedy introduced them as a full time addition that that the style got popular. They are the band responsible for coining the term beauty and the beast which is beaten to death today but still an intriguing formula when done right.

Tristania formed in 1996 out of Stavanger Norway and since then, released 6 full length albums and an EP. Unfortunately, several prominent figures that helped establish the band have since left ranks to pursue other interests. On my journey to acquire some of the best gothic metal around, I searched around until I found “Beyond The Veil” from Tristania which I had heard from word of mouth that it was the finest work of their career and one of the essential albums to own along with Velvet Darkness They Fear by Theatre Of Tragedy and Tears Laid In earth by 3rd And The Mortal. Needless to say, I share the same opinions as those claiming this to be a crowning jewel of an album. Tristania do indeed make good use of the beauty and the beast formula. It helps to have one of metal’s elite vocalists on board to enhance the song writing process. “Beyond The Veil” was the last Tristania album that featured primary songwriter Morten Veland. He played a large role in brainstorming the compositions for Tristania and utilizes his abilities to his extent on Beyond The Veil. But what makes Tristania any different than the other bands I’ve previously mentioned? Well for starters, instead of basing their sound off gothic doom icons Paradise Lost and Anathema like Theatre Of Tragedy did, Tristania took inspiration from their own local legends Emperor and the Norwegian black metal in general to create captivating yet equally riveting music.

Another factor that separated Tristania from the rest was their unique three vocal attack. The main vocalist, Vibeke Stene was the bands female singer who possesses incredible range and depth with her voice not too mention a clear and distinctive style comparable to no one. Then we have Morten Veland contrasting the beauty with the beast, providing all the harsh vocals in a vicious manner. He is an excellent harsh vocalist, shifting between death and black metal styles quite routinely. And for the third vocalist, clean, baritone vocals were introduced to mesh with Morten’s intense growling and Vibeke‘s keening operatic delivery. Choir vocals, both male and female are also present, cementing Tristania as having one of the most diverse and exciting vocal patterns heard in metal. Aside from vocals making a large impact on the music, the backing musicianship was just as precise and intense, transitioning masterfully from clean, violin interludes and beautiful piano runs to fast, aggressive riffing pinning the deathlike growling.

Vibeke Stene had cemented herself as one of metals brightest hopes in her early twenties with her brilliant voice. After Beyond The Veil, she began to experiment with a more straightforward singing similar to Tarja Turunen’s transition from Wishmaster to Century Child. Nonetheless, Vibeke’s graceful delivery is one of the many highpoints on the album. English is the primary spoken language sung but at times, Latin is prominent, lending an intriguing quality to the music. There’s not much that needs to be said about Morten other than he’s excellent composer, riff master, and harsh vocalist. His harsh vocals are very menacing, shifting between high, borderline black metal growls to deep, thundering roars that invoke feelings of intense despair. It’s a shame that this style had once been a formidable option only to be watered down and diluted with age. The guitars are heavy and pick up speed instantly with blinding aggression only to slow down with some clean, acoustic guitar to calm things down. The lack of solos might be a con to some but Tristania make up for it with excellent synthesizer passages and haunting violin runs contributed by former Thy Sins Of Beloved violinist, Pete Johansen. Aside from the vocals, my favorite contribution to this album is brought by the bands synth programmer, Einar Moen. His work is incredible and captures the coldest emotion from the deepest, darkest corners of the earth with majestic piano leads and epic keyboard passages pulsating throughout the complex arrangements. The drumming plods away with speed and variation, shifting between blinding double bass to simpler rock oriented patterns when tempos start slowing down. With so much going on Beyond The Veil, counting multiple layering’s of vocals along with the other prominent instruments playing a big role, bass has a lot going against it but Rune does a great job following lead guitar with some memorable lines proving that this a group effort from everyone involved. Add in superb production and virtually flawless songwriting and you have one of the best gothic metal records in town.

With so much happening throughout the album, it’s a wonder how it doesn’t come out jumbled and completely out of synch. I credit professional musicianship and songwriting abilities towards making this album the success that it is. With a solid display of every member, Beyond The Veil stands the test of time as one of the genres crowning jewels. Fans of Nightwish and After Forever should love this album but be warned, this is much more intense and inaccessible than anything either of those bands have released. This album has no real standout tracks or single, replaced instead by several quality ones. But if I have to go with any I’d go with the opener, Beyond The Veil, Opus Relinque, and Lethean River as my favorite songs. Fans of metal should give this a run, and although it might take some time to sink in, it’s time well worth spent.

copas from http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/26348/Tristania-Beyond-the-Veil/

Tracklist:
01 - Beyond the Veil
02 - Aphelion
03 - A Sequel of Decay
04 - Opus Relinque
05 - Lethean River
06 - Of Ruins and a Red Nightfall
07 - Simbelmyne
08 - Angina
09 - Heretique
10 - Dementia
11 - Angina (second version)
12 - Opus Relinque (Radio Edit)
13 - Saturne

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Tristania - Rubicon (2010) FLAC

Tristania - Rubicon

Tristania is for one more time in the controversial eye of the cyclone. The first time was when Morten Veland ceased to be a member of the band. The second was when the charismatic and adored by the fans of the band (and of gothic metal as well), Vibeke Stene, left. But the flames of controversy hadn't risen that much, not until recently when their 6th full-length album came to the surface, the 1st with Mariangela "Mary" Demurtas on the female vocals. Yet, this isn't the only change on the line-up, only two of the founding members remain in the ranks of Tristania, Anders Høyvik Hidle and Einar Moen, although Osten still partakes as a guest vocalist which is very welcome, he has also written half the lyrics of the album.

First of all, I didn't enjoy that much the cover artwork, it's not the first time Tristania had a person-centered cover and I understand they wanted to promote their new female singer, but this time it seems kind of cliché with the lust-implied stare and stuff like that. Of course we won't stay on that, it's just that inspired and beautiful covers are always… beautiful covers! And Rubicon's cover ain't one.

Rubicon is one of those albums that a band composes after severe changes in line-up which prologues a more commercial course in the near future, may the times prove me liar, but Rubicon is a pre-commercial step for the band with Mary trying her best to fit in, something she succeeds in. One could say that she's present only for the interpreting part, yet, she plays her role in the song-writing and the lyrics as well, that being a big plus for her. Concerning her voice, it's beautiful, yes, she's talented, otherwise she wouldn't have been in a band like Tristania which focuses on this kind of interpretation. Yet, her voice is not that unique, you'll find quite enough sound colours as hers in the female-fronted metal scene. Vibeke made the difference, Mary doesn't, but I still like the variety of emotions she comes across and the way she presents them. She's not alone in her task, there are three more people accompanying her, you'll find Anders' limited grunts, Kjetil's clean, melodic (with a lunatic touch at times) interpreting, even Osten as well! I think the band did its best in order to make Mary feel like home and “protect” her, maybe more than needed sometimes.

In my obscure kind of mind, I find Rubicon being a concept album, the lyrics have a sense of war, at times straight-forward, at others in a more esoteric way, depicting the broken and twisted reality of a soldier, being not able to judge by himself but waiting for orders to “think”. There's a disgust on war, a cry upon non-breathing braincells, a denial on order, a will for planet earth to finally move on and leave the “burning in water, drowning in fire” past far behind.

My thoughts on the album are very positive, I listened to Rubicon a lot to finally conclude in enjoying everything it has to say, writing down my thoughts was not the most pleasant experience, I was feeling more confused than confident. And in the end, I like the utter harmony that lies somewhere between dynamic and fragile passages, with few outbursts that escalate the atmosphere, or more heart-rending moments that leave you speechless. The violin's role this time is more limited, but that's the magic about it, whenever it appears you appreciate it wholeheartedly, especially since its parts are very inspired and overflown with emotion. The riffing once again is very good, there are also gothic rock chords and of course acoustic harmonies, offering a variety on guitar expression, blending well with the rhythm section. The keyboards play their part as well, either having a more important role, or a more accompanying one, in terms of atmosphere, but sometimes they tend to “vanish” behind Mary's “walls of sound” and that's the part of the production I didn't like that much, sometimes she stands more than required in the foreground, overshadowing instrument(s) and/or co-interpreter(s), but that's probably part of Tristania's masterplan on how they view the album.

Coherence, yes, that's the magic word, the link of the chain between the compositions in terms of atmosphere and Tristania succeeded in it. The dynamic and melodic at the same time “Year Of The Rat” and “Protection”, the twisted “Patriot Games”, the shivering “Amnesia”, the fragile “The Passing” and the overwhelming “Illumination” could be the songs that appeared to me the most, but I liked the album as a whole, except for one or two (probably being “The Emerald Piper” and “Magical Fix”).

I found Rubicon a good album, others will hate it, others will adore it, others will find it a good one as well, all I know is that with more than ten spins it has grown on me and I couldn't condemn it, despite my first thoughts finding it quite mediocre. The band has been reborn, but has the phoenix risen from its ashes? Only time will tell.

"So you slipped into the fire, I was watching it transpire."

copas from http://www.metalstorm.net/pub/review.php?review_id=8339

Tracklist:
01. Year Of The Rat
02. Protection
03. Patriot Games
04. The Passing
05. Exile
06. Sirens
07. The Emerald Piper [Limited Edition bonus]
08. Vulture
09. Amnesia
10. Magical Fix
11. Illumination
12. Caprice [bonus]

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Tristania - Mindwintears Angina (2005) FLAC CUE LOG

Tristania - Mindwintears Angina

Now, I am not really into the whole gothic metal thing, seeing as how I am not a Goth, but I really like Tristania's music. A while ago I got a hold of some of their albums, which I reviewed, but I actually had the pleasure of buying this album in the stores. When I looked on the Metal- Archives to see which album it was, it was put under Best of/ Compilation. But it is not a best of album. It is just Tristania's two EP's (Midwintertears and Angina) put on one cd. So I will take time to review each EP again, because it is a little better than the original EP's.

Midwintertears features three songs on the EP. Sirene is just an intro song that builds up to Midwintertears, and build up it does. One of the reasons why I like Tristania is because of their atmospheric music, which is also very dark and heavy. Midwintertears is more of a ballad, ending up at eight minutes. It features a very interesting keyboard section and of course the cool distortion that Tristania uses on guitars. The vocals also shine on this song, showing two kinds of growled death metal vocals and a very clean beautiful voice (at 4:20).

The next song is Pale Enchantress which is another long song ending up at six minutes. Once again keyboards, and actually piano, make this song what it is. The well done vocals and guitar riffs add on to make a very dark song. Cease to Exist is a bonus, seeing as how the first three songs end up on the album Widow's Weed. Cease to Exist adds onto this dark ambient feeling. This song brings a better vocal performance and is worth listening to despite it lasts a little over nine minutes long.

All the songs on the Angina EP make it on the album Beyond the Veil except for Saturnine. The first song is Angina, and you can tell there is a distortion change. It sounds louder and is a lot heavier. There is also a lot more emphasis on the vocals. The two pairs of growled vocals go at it and sing together, while the female vocal shows off her amazing talent. They even do some choir like vocals, which definitely add to the music. It also seems that there are some kind of violins, maybe that are distorted, could be my imagination though. At least these songs aren't as long as the Midwintertears EP songs.

The second song is Opus Relinque, the Radio Edit, whatever the hell that means. I doubt any radio station would play this, unless it was really underground. The piano plays a more important role on this song, as do the keyboards. This song is unique, and sounds like a mix between the Mortal Kombat theme and something from one of the Castlevania video games. The last song on this album is Saturnine, which again is a bit of a bonus. It is just a two minute instrumental, which adds very weird keyboards and snyth sounds. Its hard to describe this song, it is very different that is for sure.

So over all we have two good EP's slapped on one album. Nice to do when you can't find the original EP's on cd. Plus the production is better on here than on the original copy.

copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Tristania/Midwintertears_-_Angina/427/PowerMetalGuardian

Tracklist:
1. Sirene     03:25
2. Midwintertears     08:30
3. Pale Enchantress     06:29
4. Cease to Exist     09:17
5. Angina     04:19
6. Opus Relinque (Radio Edit)     05:02
7. Saturnine     02:02

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Tristania - Ashes (2005) FLAC

Tristania - Ashes

Tristania has been a different animal since their humble Doomdeath beginnings their current bid for Gothic Metal supremacy. On this release we see them reinvent themselves shaking off the shell of predictability and creating something truly unique and different.

The production is alright but could've been better. The guitars are moodier than they've ever been in this band before. Going from distorted to clean to acoustic seamlessly while mixing open chord to palm muting techniques effortlessly. As per usual there are no solos and a handful of leads. The vibe they create is very sad and lonely. The guitars aren't that heavy either, but they do have their moments. They are the atmosphere of this album.

The bass doesn't do anything revolutionary here aside from adding to the heaviness when it’s present. The drums are in the same boat; however they do add some interesting beats here and there. The keyboards don't add much in the way of atmosphere but they work when used.

The vocals are what we've come to expect with perhaps a few more clean male parts. The other male vocals are in a Blackish rasp. The female vocals are, as always, flawless as Vibeke effortlessly sooths and seduces the listener with her outstanding commanding vocal presence. The lyrics are of love and loss, and apparently the culmination of a breakup between two band members.

There is a very laid back approach to the song writing here. You can hear the heart break and turmoil of the two former lovers falling apart at the seams. The title is in homage to what’s left after a heated romance that has burned out. This was probably a difficult album to make given the probable intensity of the relationship both private and professional.

The songs have a strange yet beautiful atmosphere. The song structures are very original and only enhanced by Vibeke's hauntingly beautiful voice. There is a constant sorrow that drifts from song to song only to be replaced by a cautious rage or a bleak calm, as if lulling the listener into a false sense of security. This album isn't layered considering all that’s going on that’s a feat in and of itself. This is Tristania at their most stripped down and vulnerable, there is a lot of honesty on display here.

This is possibly the bands best album as well as it resurrects some of their some slower Doomed past while combining it with their newer sound. Most of the songs are fairly slow with a few more moderately paced entries. This is an album that is nothing short of epic, as with very little exception, all the songs can stand on their own. You can't help but listen to the whole thing from start to finish. It’s as though you get sucked into a swirling torrent of abysmal feelings and memories mixed with anxiety and the fear and dread of certain loss. This is by far one of the best albums of the decade.

copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Tristania/Ashes/62791/

Tracklist:
01. Libre (4:30)
02. Equilibrium (5:50)
03. The Wretched (7:01)
04. Cure (6:00)
05. Circus (5:09)
06. Shadowman (6:32)
07. Endogenisis (7:38)
08. Bird (5:10)

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Tristania - World of Glass (2001) FLAC

Tristania - World of Glass

In 2001 gothic Metal band Tristania released their first non-Morten Veland album, World Of Glass. Just looking at the song titles, one can tell they were a little upset with Morten leaving (take a look at the song titles, and interpret them in relation to a band's main songwriter, guitarist and vocalist leaving them), which pervades and pretty much makes World Of Glass.

It's instantly clear when listening to World Of Glass Tristania were incredibly pissed off at Morten Veland leaving the band (especially when his own band went on to suck...anyway). The emotional aspect of this record is the darkest of all Tristania, yet unlike the beautiful melancholy of say, Widow's Weeds, the emotions here are that of hatred, anger and depression. See lyrics such as 'the child in me just died/the scars in me will never heal' or 'this world/its evil ways/the pain that I hide' for evidence of this. The album is still a product of Tristania, meaning emotionally it is top notch; the emotional side always being moving and easy to connect to. This is perfect when you're in a sh*tty mood. However, some of the emotions are just too dark to be enjoyable (see 'Lost' and 'Hatred Grows').

The main aspect of the band has always been the vocals. Sadly, there are some sub-par performances on here along with the usual excellent ones. The other male vocalist (besides Osten) doesn't fit the slower passages; Vibeke's voice feels too harsh at points (see the start of 'Crushed Dreams', ugh); the harsh vocals sound computerised; all but one of the choir parts are boring (I don't know how they went from writing such awesome choir parts to such lame ones, surely they could have just repeated the formula Morten had). Otherwise we have excellent vocal passages as usual; the gothic choir passage at 4:20 of 'Crushed Dreams' is one of the best things they've ever wrote, everything in 'Tender Trip On Earth' rules, Vibeke's solo in 'Wormwood' is beautiful, and more. The core of the band still lives.

Musically the songwriting remains complex and interesting. My initial reaction was to think the band had lost the songwriting foundations Morten laid down (while Einar and Anders came up with the more complex detail), but foundation wise, the band manage to hold it together, if only just. The songs themselves are incredibly interesting and diverse, featuring dissonant violin solos, melodic black metal passages, oppressive choir sections, anthemic vocal triplets, sombre acoustic parts and more. Instrumentally the band are fine, with the one guitar being used efficiently and the drums sounding great as always.

Not the most consistent album, but enough greatness present to deserve a recommendation.

copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Tristania/World_of_Glass/425/

Tracklist:
01. The Shining Path
02. Wormwood
03. Tender Trip On Earth
04. Lost
05. Deadlocked
06. Selling Out
07. Hatred Grows
08. World Of Glass
09. Crushed Dreams

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Tristania - Illumination (Europeon Edition) 2007 FLAC CUE LOG

Tristania - Illumination (Europeon Edition)

Illumination is the fifth full length release by Tristania, one of Norway's most prominent gothic metal bands. By now most people know the story; that Veland was responsible for putting them on the map, but decided to leave, causing them to go downhill, etc. While I'm one of those who believes he was the best thing to ever happen to Tristania, I'm also not about to discard their later releases as pure rubbish. No indeed, World of Glass, Ashes, and Illumination all offer something new and different, and all three are quality albums in their own right. With respect to Illumination; however, I feel they had a good idea in mind, but fell just a tad short on execution.

Throughout Illumination's running time it becomes painfully obvious Tristania was not shooting for complexion; instead, all songs have a much more slow, mellow, and simple structure. I'm refraining from the word basic because that is a major misnomer here. The reason behind that is simple; it all boils down to song structure. When approached from that viewpoint, there's nothing basic about the songs present on Illumination. The rhythm-setting drums, guitars, keyboards (What little there are) and bass all meld perfectly together to create simple yet effective melodies in each song. To reinforce this bold statement, I offer any track found at the last half of the album.

Vibeke Stene's vocals excited me most. She, like many other vocalists in the genre, has continued to evolve her voice in such a way that it effectively steers away from that quasi-operatic, choir like voice and actually starts to sing. I loved it dearly, to be sure, but it grows old after awhile, and there's no way in hell her old vocal style would fit with Ashes or Illumination. Songs such as Sanguine Sky, Lotus, and Mercyshide showcase her new style best; that hauntingly sexy voice you'd love to have sing you to sleep. While others, such as Destination Departure and Deadlands, focus more on her classic style of singing; that quasi-operatic voice you could picture... well, I'll spare you the innuendo.

The male vocals, done by Osten Bergoy, are also very well performed. My only disappointment is the lack of growling. Unlike Tristania's previous albums, growling is virtually non existent. The harshest male vocals hover somewhere between high pitched rasping, found on parts of Mercyside and The Ravens. However, I can't complain about the clean sections, especially on Fate, where they're above and beyond.

Both vocalists do their parts very well, but how about the lyrics they're actually singing? They carry the typical bleak and dreary gothic feel, but do they really hold up? I don't think so, at least with the first half of the album, especially on Mercyside, Sanguine Sky, and Open Ground. The verses and chorus' both feel like they're straight out of a b-side movie, no joke. I understand the emotional distress trying to be portrayed, but for Christ's sake ease up on the masochism! On the opposing end exist songs like Fate, Lotus, and Deadlands, which have your usual Tristania bleakness; the appropriate feel.. In fact, we're basically dividing the album in half: The masochistic side and the genuinely bleak side.

Hence why I say Illumination falls ever so short of the regard I hold Tristania in. This would be an exceptional release under your average band, but Tristania have been nothing but above average since their debut. I'm all for a change in style, especially to something slower and more dramatic, but not at the sake of musical perfection. They started out with a good idea, a good goal, but simply didn't make it for whatever reasons. Perhaps they'll nail it with their next release? Every band releases an album not quite up to par at some point, so why should they be any different?

Regardless, Illumination isn't something fans should ignore. Of the eleven songs present, Mercyside, Open Ground, and The Ravens fall below par, while Fate, Lotus, and Sanguine Sky stand out the most. Everything else is average; not amazing, but not as bad as those mentioned. Strangers to Tristania, or gothic metal in general, might want to be wary; this won't convert you to either.

copas from http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Tristania/Illumination/137536/

Tracklist:
01. Mercyside (4:39)
02. Sanguine Sky (3:50)
03. Open Ground (4:40)
04. The Ravens (5:06)
05. Destination Departure (4:35)
06. Down (4:32)
07. Fate (4:59)
08. Lotus (5:09)
09. Sacrilege (4:15)
10. In The Wake (Bonus Track) (4:08)
11. Deadlands (6:39)

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